Cherry Chipotle Turkey Loaf and Popcorn Cauliflower with “Not Ketchup”

Oh. if you could only smell the aroma wafting through this kitchen right now! And who do I have to thank for this?  None other than Erika Kerekes, fellow food blogger, for bringing her wonderful vision to fruition (no pun intended). She has taken the concept of ketchup and turned an American staple that has not been updated in decades on its head.  After months of experimentation in her kitchen, she developed a line of dipping sauces that pairs sweet with heat, fruit with fire, with not one speck of tomato.  The FDA requires tomato in any ketchup-type product.  Well, no tomato here. Her line of “Not Ketchup“currently includes smoky date, blueberry white pepper and cherry chipotle.

She was kind enough to stop by the other day with Not Ketchup blueberry white pepper and cherry chipotle dipping sauces.

Novio and I  immediately began sampling the wares in all manner of ways. Cheese and sauce on crackers. Raw veggies and sauce. Sauce on its own. Delicious! I began visualizing salad dressings made with the sauce, marinades made with the sauce.

Then I thought, why use the sauce just on the outside of food?  Why not from within as well as without?

I already use ketchup inside many types of meat loaves.  Let’s go for Not Ketchup and see what happens.  And this is what happened.

Throw in some fresh thyme.

Shape into loaves, shmear on sauce, and bake.

Can you smell that aroma?

Have you heard of Popcorn Cauliflower? I loved it before I knew the trendy term for it. Trendy Shmendy. This is simply roasted cauliflower with nothing but olive oil, salt and pepper all over it. And wow, is it good with Not Ketchup.

paw print

Okay, so if Not Ketchup is Not Available just yet (and if you know Erika, that should be a temporary state of affairs), experiment in the kitchen with a combo that pleases you.

Dip It, Baby

I’ll tell you this: I remember a meal from long ago where the starter consisted of three tiny meatballs. I couldn’t quite put my finger on where the sweet and the spice were coming from. Along with a nice hunk of Challah, I was mighty happy. I cornered the hostess in the kitchen. “What is going on with those meatballs?” She smiled demurely. She did a lot of demure smiling. “Grape jam,” she replied,  “and lemon juice and plenty of salt and pepper.” Similar concept! Not too shabby, Miss Demure Hostess.

Cherry Chipotle Turkey  Loaf

Ingredients:

*Not Ketchup” not available?  It won’t be quite the same but try cooking a small amount of fruit puree or jam with a bit of raw sugar, chopped onion, honey, apple cider vinegar, chopped dates, salt & pepper. Add some heat like chipotle chile or smoked paprika.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Mix ground meat in large bowl with egg, chopped vegetables, oatmeal and other meals, thyme, salt and pepper, and 2 T. (reserve the other tablespoon) of  “Not Ketchup” sauce.

Shape into two rectangular loaves on large greased pan.

Spread remaining tablespoon of sauce over the tops and sides of  the two loaves with the back of a spoon.

Bake in oven until tops of loaves are firm and meat is cooked through, about  40 minutes. Turn around halfway during baking.

Popcorn Cauliflower

Ingredients:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450°.

Break cauliflower into florets. They don’t all need to be the same size. Wash the florets and dry WELL.

Grease roasting pan with a bit of the oil. Toss cauliflower on the pan and drizzle on the remaining oil. Add salt and pepper. Toss cauliflower with hands.

Roast for 35 minutes until cauliflower is tender and browned.

Enjoy with “Not Ketchup” Cherry Chipotle Sauce!